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Reviews For: AIR BOSS pneumatic antenna launcher

Category: Antennas: HF: Verticals; Wire; Loop

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Review Summary For : AIR BOSS pneumatic antenna launcher
Reviews: 52MSRP: 59.95
Description:
Launches line into tall trees for erecting wire antennas
Product is in production
More Info: https://www.olahtechnologies.com/
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
35524.7
AC1DR Rating: 2020-02-06
Excellent pneumatic Launcher Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
The Air boss pneumatic antenna Launcher works great. It is very easy to use and aim. It can launch the 2 oz projectile with fishing line attached over a 100 foot tree.
Great tool for hanging wire antennas as high as your trees permit.
WB6MMV Rating: 2020-02-05
Accurate and Easy to use Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I purchased an Air Boss due to my old slingshot surgical tubing device giving up the ghost. The Air Boss is far easier to aim at a specific spot on the trees I aim for and goes much further then the old slingshot. I painted all the lead weights with a high visibility paint to make them easy to find. I use around 30 pounds of air pressure using a portable inflator that plugs into my DC power on my truck.
If you need to shoot lines over trees, etc. for antennas, this one is excellent.
AB0RE Rating: 2019-06-21
Great Value Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I ordered my Air Boss over the weekend. Immediately Monday morning I got an email saying the unit was shipped. It arrived by the end of the week (to Minnesota).

Initially, shipping & handling (~$30) seemed a bit "on the high side of fair", but upon receiving the package it made sense. The Air Boss was 100% assembled (long) and packaged in a long PVC tube with Styrofoam inserts to keep the Air Boss properly isolated from the PVC shipping container.

It took about five minutes to mount the open face fishing reel in place with hose clamps. I've done several "practice shots" in the yard at various PSI. The unit seems quite easy to aim and provides consistent launches.

Although a sprinkler valve would've been the "icing on the cake", the T-valve is quite easy to use and keeps the part count and price down. I'll likely paint my weights with Hi-Vis paint as well.

One could likely D-I-Y and save a few bucks, but for those of us pressed for time, the Air Boss is money well spent, for a "known-good" design.
It comes in at a fraction of the price of competitors antenna launchers.

My only regret is not buying this years ago. I'm throwing my slingshot away, too. :-)
KM6WSI Rating: 2018-12-29
Works Great + Outstanding Service Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
Box arrived... everything looked great. Unpacked and discovered smaller PVC was broken from base. How? Who knows. Packing was secure and quality job. So I contacted them to ask how i could fix it. The next thing I knew another one showed up! This one was perfect. I put up 4 antennas so far and no issues. Well worth the cost.. easier then sling shot!
K4IIE Rating: 2018-11-07
beats a slingshot Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Tried to shoot the slingshot over an oak tree branch but no go.The Airboss got it to 90 ft.Threw slingshot away.Wish I had bought one years ago.Highly recommended!
N1CX Rating: 2018-10-21
Three Thumbs up! Time Owned: 6 to 12 months.
Single easiest way to get over a tall tree.

Yesterday for the first time in my ham radio existence I hit 65' in a tree and got a pulley there easily to hold some wire antennas. Simple to use, mount a fishing reel to it with some braid or heavy monofilament. The reel will mount with a pair of small hose clamps. Tie the sinker on, drop down the tube, open the bail of the reel, charge the airboss. Aim and open valve. Once you clear the tree palm the spool to slow it down then stop it, before the sinker starts swinging, let the line go again and it's on the ground, I use spools of masons line to reel back over the tree then tie 1/4" black dacron to this to support a pulley. The airboss is loads better than armstrong, bow and arrow, etc. Great product.
KC1ACL Rating: 2018-07-28
Sinkers Time Owned: more than 12 months.
I have owned a Air Boss for a few years now.i found that egg sinkers do work.i lost my last sinker from the few I saved when I bought this launcher.a 2 oz egg sinker Does work fine.i trued slingshots, etc and the Air Boss works as advertised.73s Kc1acl
KI7DPP Rating: 2018-02-06
Good but be careful Time Owned: more than 12 months.
Works great but I mounted the reel at the base of the barrel. Used once to great effect. Next time I was preparing to use, I had it leaning against a wall and it fell over. Broke the barrel off at the connection to the valve. Not reparable as far as I can figure out. The whole unit is glued solidly together.

I have suggested to the maker that some of the unit not be glued so parts can be replaced, especially the barrel.

If it were not for that experience I would give it a 5.
W4CP Rating: 2017-10-17
An excellent product Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I have used sling shots, bows and arrows and many other means to get my antennas into the trees in my over 45 years as a ham. I had even used pneumatic launchers brought by others to Field Day.
Finally, I decided that I wanted to have my own pneumatic launcher.
So I did a search and found the AIR BOSS and noticed it was built here in North Carolina. I was going to be nearby in the Morehead City, NC area soon anyway, so I contacted Bill KR4LO and arranged to stop by and pick one up.
Bill was extremely nice, and soon I was driving home with my new launcher.
A few weeks later I was in the mountains of NC at a friend's (KK4ELT) cabin, helping him install an antenna.
I liked the design of the air boss with the pressure cylinder in line with the barrel for several reasons, one of which is that I thought it would be easy to aim. It was.
I had painted the 2 ounce lead sinkers yellow so they'd be easy to see against the leaves of the trees, and my first shot went easily over the tree, the sinker hit the ground and was quickly found. The rope pulled easily up through the tree and I was half through.
The second tree required three shots. At first I was trying for a lower limb on the tree and missed, then I went over the tree but the fishing line broke pulling up the rope (I used a slightly lower test line than he recommends). On the third try there was excellent placement of the sinker, the sinker was easily spotted hanging from the tree and, after a trial or two, the rope made it through the tree and we got the antenna up.
This is an excellent piece of gear. I don't like the fill port and gauge being in a somewhat vulnerable spot on the back of the device, but I know why he put it there (the plastic is thicker/stronger there.) So you do have to be careful when using it, and you can't just stand it in the corner when you are through.
But I found a place to hang it on the garage wall easily enough, so that the gauge and port are protected, and this small qualm is not enough to keep me from giving it five stars.
I'll use this at Field Day and to put up some wire antennas for me and some other friends. Even though it won't get used every week, I am very glad to have this among my tools. If you've never used one, he has a very good video on using it at his website.
At a price not much higher than the cost of the parts, this is a deal not to be missed!
WB4GUD Rating: 2017-06-26
Great product Time Owned: 3 to 6 months.
I bought the Air Boss about six months ago but wanted to wait until I had used it a few times before leaving a review. This past FD gave it (and me) quite a workout, mainly because of the leaves being out and the angle that I had to shoot. After losing one weight, I changed to another spot and all was well. I opted for a Shakespeare Alpha reel and 30 lb. Spiderwire line per Bill's recommendations, that seems to be the way to go. All the other reviews pretty much say it, great product, really will shoot a line 100'+. Just watch where you point it when it's pumped up.